The incidence of major pests of pongamia in relation to weather parameters was observed during 2016-17 at Zonal Agricultural Research Station, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru. The important pests recorded on pongamia were blotch miner (Acrocercops anthrauris Fabricius), spiralling whitefly Aleurodiccus disperses (Russel), and the eriophyid mite, Aceria pongamiae Channabasavanna causing leaf galls. Correlation between A. pongamiae with weather variables of the corresponding fortnight revealed that it had highly significant and positive correlation with minimum temperature i.e. (r = 0.845**, p<0.01), maximum temperature (r = 0.471*, p<0.05) and total rainfall (r = 0.464*) respectively. Leaf gall number was significantly and positively correlated with minimum temperature (r = 0.605, p<0.01). Regarding correlation with preceding fortnight weather data, A. pongamiae incidence was significantly and positively correlated with maximum temperature (r= 0. 571, p<0.01) and minimum temperature (r = 0.868, p<0.01), leaf gall number due to A. pongamiae was significantly and positively correlated with minimum temperature (r = 0.586**, p<0.01), total rainfall (r = 0.478, p<0.05) and wind speed (r = 0.508*, p<0.05). Blotch miner incidence was significantly and positively correlated with maximum temperature (r = 0.413, p<0.01), minimum temperature (r = 0.684, p<0.01), wind speed (r = 0.361**, p<0.01), afternoon RH (r = 0.290, p<0.05) and total rainfall (r = 0.292, p<0.05) of the preceding week. Spiralling whitefly incidence was significantly positively correlated with maximum temperature (r = 0.072, p<0.01), minimum temperature i.e. (r =0.517, p<0.01) and afternoon RH (r = 0.520, p<0.01). Regarding correlation with the corresponding week weather parameters, blotch miner showed significant and positive correlation with minimum temperature (r= 0.775, p<0.01), maximum temperature (r = 0.289, p<0.05), afternoon relative humidity (r= 0.336, p<0.05) and wind speed (r= 0.359, p<0.01). Spiralling whitefly, incidence showed significant positive correlation with maximum temperature (r = 0.069, p<0.01), minimum temperature i.e. (r =0.523**, p<0.01) morning RH (r = 0.277, p<0.05) afternoon RH (r = 0.536**, p<0.01) and rainfall (r = 0.353, p<0.05)

Download this article as